The invention relates to an apparatus for automatically milking animals, such as cows or goats, the apparatus including a stable or cowshed in which the animals are allowed to move freely.
Such constructions are known. The performance of such constructions should however be improved. In this way the production of milk is increased and the milk price to the customers may be decreased. In an automatic milking system, the animals are permitted to move freely about in an area which may include a fenced-in shed and pasture such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,945 of van der Lely, dated Jan. 28, 1997, which is directed to a construction for automatically milking animals comprising a milking parlor with a milking robot and a covered area where the animals may move about freely. The milking parlor includes two adjacently arranged milking compartments with a milking robot installed between the compartments so as to be movable from one to the other under the udder and teats of an animal therein, whereby an animal is first milked in a compartment on one side, and then on the other compartment from the other side. Installed between the compartments is also a mechanism for automatically cleaning the animal""s udder and teats before they are milked and while the animal in the other compartment is being milked. Another example of an automatic milking system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,837 of Jun. 30, 1998, issued to van der Lely. This discloses an apparatus for automatically milking animals, such as cows, by a milking machine which is under the control of a computer for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of the animal, for automatically milking the animal, and for automatically disconnecting the teat cups from the animal. The apparatus is further provided with an animal recognition or identification system which is in communication with the computer system. A system for automatically milking animals, such as cows, which includes a metering device which is computer controlled for dispensing fodder to an animal in a milking compartment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,820 of Jul. 14, 1998, to van der Lely et al. This patent also discloses a laser detector for locating and emplacing teat cups on an animal""s teats while it is in the milking compartment, milking the animal and upon the conclusion thereof withdrawing the teat cups and moving them from underneath the animal. The apparatus has a metering device for dispensing fodder concentrate into the feeding trough. The measuring device is computer controlled and with the aid of the computer, the anticipated feeding period is predetermined based on the animal""s identity. The fodder is distributed at least substantially uniformly over the actual feeding period so that the dispensing of fodder terminates and the feeding period ends approximately at the same time the milking operation ends and the milking robot has removed the milking apparatus from under the animal so able not to impede the animal""s exit from the compartment. An implement for cleaning the teats of milk producing animals for use in an automatic milking system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,423 of Jan. 24, 1955, to van der Lely. A computer controls a rotatable apparatus which has mounted thereon four cleaning brushes for receiving the teats of a farm animal in a milking compartment, cleaning them with a liquid cleaning agent applied to the brushes and also drying same. The same implement on which the cleaning implement is mounted includes apparatus for automatically milking the animal in the milking compartment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,040 of Jan. 14, 1992, to van der Lely et al, is directed to an automatic milking system for dairy animals comprising individual teat cups attachable to the corresponding teats of the animal""s udder, a measuring device to determine the volume of milk discharged from individual teats, a central vacuum system to aid the discharge of the milk from the teats as well as to move both milk and cleaning fluid through the system""s fluid lines, a cooling tank and an array of sensors to determine various parameters relating to the milk and the milking system, including temperature sensors, milk conductivity sensors, air-to-milk ratio sensors, pressure sensors and fluid level sensors. These sensors are arranged at various places in the milking system including in the individual teat cups. The system diverts milk from milk otherwise collected that has too high of a temperature or more than a predetermined conductivity indicating it may not have been produced in a healthy teat or udder. U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,994 of Jul. 28, 1998, to van der Lely, discloses an apparatus and method for automatically milking animals, such as cows, confined within a milking compartment. The milking apparatus includes four robotic arms for individually emplacing and removing teat cups from the animal""s teats and a separate robot arm for a detector that scans the animal""s teats for the purpose of effecting a computer-controlled emplacement of the teat cups thereon. The detector includes a laser which beams through a window on the detector carried by an omni-directing member which has a four-bar parallelogram member so that the beams are both horizontally and vertically movable. The longitudinal sides of the milking compartment has spray members for cleaning teat cups which, when not used for milking, are under the spraying members. The robotic arms for emplacing and removing the teat cups each contain cords attached to the teat cups by which they are drawn tautly against the robotic arms for emplacement and removal and played out so that the animal can move within limits after the teat cups are emplaced on the animal""s teats.
The broad objective of the invention is a fully automatic milking system.
In accordance with the invention, this is achieved by an apparatus which includes one or more combinations of the following characteristics:
a milking robot for automatically connecting the teat cups;
a concentrate station;
a management system;
and a combination of selected combinations of the following characteristics:
an admission selection framework for the milking compartment with departure option;
an automatic cleaning member for cleaning the teats;
a flexible connection between the robot arm and the teat cups after the latter have been connected to the teats;
an automatic milk control unit for controlling the quality of the milk, as well as milk flow separation means with the aid of which inferior milk is separated automatically;
an automatic milk sampling device by means of which a milk sample is provided for analysis from each animal;
disconnecting means for individually disconnecting the teat cups from the teats when it has been determined that a specific udder quarter has been milked out;
a disinfecting device by means of which the udder is disinfected automatically after milking;
an automatic cleaning device with the aid of which the entire milk line system or a limited part thereof is cleaned automatically;
an animal-dependent, time adjusted metering unit, by means of which a specific amount of concentrate is fed to an animal;
a feed mixing unit with the aid of which, on an animal-dependent basis, a specific feed mixture is made;
a computer program by means of which, on the basis of historical data of the relevant animal, its estimated milk production is determined and by means of which, on the basis of the estimated milk production, it is determined whether or not an animal will be milked by the milking robot;
a heat registration unit;
a mastitis registration unit;
a computer into which it is inputted that only a limited number of udder quarters are to be milked out;
a computer program by means of which the livestock is divided into milk production groups and by means of which a priority is defined for admitting an animal out of a milk production group into the milking compartment prior to another animal out of another milk production group.
In accordance with an inventive feature, the milking robot comprises at least one robot arm which is provided with a first and second parallelogram structures located in a first plane in the longitudinal direction of the milking compartment, as well as a third parallelogram structure located in a second plane which is at an angle with the first plane.
The invention also relates to an apparatus for automatically milking animals, such as cows or goats, which is provided with a milking robot for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal to be milked, and respectively disconnecting same therefrom; the invention is characterized in that the milking robot comprises at least one robot arm which is provided with a first and second parallelogram structures that are located in a first plane disposed in the longitudinal direction of the milking compartment, as well as a third parallelogram structure located in a second plane which is at an angle to the first plane.
According to a further inventive feature, near each longitudinal side of the milking compartment there are disposed two robot arms behind each other. According to again another inventive feature, seen from the front side of the milking compartment, the second plane of the third parallelogram structure of a first robot arm is at an angle of between 40xc2x0 and 50xc2x0, preferably 45xc2x0, with the first plane, while the second plane of the third parallelogram structure of a second robot arm is at an angle of between 55xc2x0 and 65xc2x0, preferably of 60xc2x0, to the first plane. The mutual differences in the oblique positions of the third parallelogram structure of the two robot arms has the advantage that space is created between the first and the second parallelogram structures of the two robot arms, so that the parallelogram structure mutually have adequate freedom of movement.
The invention yet further relates to an apparatus for automatically milking animals, such as cows or goats, which is provided with a milking robot for automatically connecting teat cups to the teats of an animal to be milked, and respectively disconnecting same therefrom; the invention characterized in that, seen from the front side of the milking compartment, the second plane of the third parallelogram structure of a first robot arm is at an angle of between 40xc2x0 and 50xc2x0, preferably of 45xc2x0, with the first plane, while the second plane of the third parallelogram structure of a second robot arm is at an angle of between 55xc2x0 and 65xc2x0, preferably of 60xc2x0, with the first plane.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, on the third parallelogram structure there is arranged a teat cup carrier carrying a teat cup at its end. According to again another inventive feature, the robot arm comprises a retracting member by means of which the teat cup, when the latter is disconnected from a teat, is retracted to the teat cup carrier.
In order to prevent the teat cups from falling on the ground during disconnection, according to an inventive feature, the teat cups are provided with cables or similar transport means, with the aid of which they are kept in an approximately upwardly orientated position when being moved towards the teat cup carrier and when being disconnected from at teat. According to a yet further inventive feature, the cable extends substantially in vertical direction and is connected at one end with a cable fastening means which is disposed on the milking compartment, while the cable is connected with its other end with a cable fastening means which is disposed near the upper side of the teat cups. According to again still another inventive feature, the cable fastening means is disposed near the upper side of the milking compartment. According to a further aspect of the invention, the transport means are computer-controlled.
In accordance with another inventive feature, the apparatus is provided with a robot arm which includes a detector, such as a laser, for determining the position of the teats of an animal to be milked. According to a further inventive feature, the robot arm including the detector is disposed near one longitudinal side of the milking compartment.
In order to enable the automatic connection of the teat cups to the teats, according to again another inventive feature, the robot arms are provided with computer-controlled pistons and cylinders or electromotors.